This invention pertains to means and methods for the disposal of medical sharps such as syringe needles, scalpels, lancets, and the like.
With the advent of many types of medical implements designed for disposal after a single use such as syringes, lancets, scalpels et cetera, there has arisen a hazard of disease spread, and particularly diseases that have no cure and are ultimately fatal. Such diseases are now being spread from accidental wounds occuring during disposal of contaminated medical sharps. By far the bulk of such disposables are syringes.
A common size of disposable medical syringe for insulin use has an injectable volume of 3/10 cc and is fitted with a 29 gauge (0.013xe2x80x3 diameter) stainless steel needle 0.5 inches long. Another common size is a 1.0 cc syringe. Such syringes retail for about 16 cents each in a quantity of 100. It is believed that hospitals pay about 6 cents each to purchase these sizes in bulk. For this reason, it was decided from the onset that a practical, marketable disposal means for medical sharps must cost considerably less per unit than the preceding figures.
This invention addresses safer means for the disposal of syringe needles, in particular, and additionally, for the disposal of lancets and scalpels. The major application for the disposal unit described herein is expected to be medical and dental clinics, emergency vehicles, private homes, and field hospitals. As described in the parent patent application, the gist of this invention is the chemical dissolution of a medical sharp with a specially formulated solution which is referred to herein as a dissolvent. The dissolvent is typically composed of an acid such as hydrochloric, a salt such as ferric chloride, and water. The strength of these components is adjusted for the speed of dissolution desired in tradeoff with the safety desired for potential human contact with the dissolvent. In prototypes of the invention, syringe needles have been completely dissolved and left not a trace in substantially less than five minutes.
It must be emphasized that human contact with the dissolvent is not life threatening. The most that such contact may cause is a minor chemical burn. There is a far greater risk when a person receives an accidental scratch from a syringe needle, scalpel, or lancet which may be contaminated with the fatal AIDS virus.
The invention herein comprises a method of applying a dissolvent to medical sharps. The means of dissolvent application is typically a disposing block made of a soft, absorbant material similar to a common household cellulosic sponge. The block is saturated with a dissolvent capable of chemically dissolving metallic medical sharps, and typically within a few minutes depending upon the strength of the dissolvent used. Disposal of a sharp is accomplished by thrusting the sharp into the block where it remains until it is totally dissolved and no longer hazardous. The handle or body of the sharp then drops into a disinfecting solution from which is can later be removed for safe disposal and possible recycling along with ordinary plastics.